GAA reveal proposals for Tier 2 football championship, new dates for All Ireland club finals

The GAA have today released their proposals for Tier 2 of the football championship which would see the All-Ireland series as we know it revamped.

In communications today put forth to "a wider membership for discussion", two proposals have been put for which would see the championship split.

Proposal A features a straight knock-out competition for 16 teams from across Divisions 3 and 4 that do not make their respective provincial finals.

The GAA say this iteration of the plan could be organised on a geographical basis.

"Northern and southern conferences for first round ties, quarter-finals and semi-finals, to ensure less travel for teams and supporters, while also retaining local rivalries," they explained today in a statement.

Proposal B is largely the same, but the key difference is explained:

"The format for the Tier 2 Championship in Proposal B features an initial round of games which then creates a winners’ group and a losers’ group and so offers beaten counties a way of playing their way back into contention."

Club Finals

The GAA also announced today next year’s All-Ireland club senior finals will move St Patrick’s Day to a new date in January.

In an effort to condense the sprawling GAA calendar, senior semi-finals in hurling and football played across the weekend of 4/5 January in 2020.

The finals will be played on Sunday 19 January.

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